Staying Close

I sometimes wonder if Samuel distanced himself from Saul too soon after Saul became making some unwise choices. There seems to be some mentoring happening at the start of their relationship. In fact, they apparently spent the night talking before Samuel anointed Saul as king (1 Samuel 9:25-26). Samuel was planning to tell Saul everything that was in Saul's heart (1 Samuel 9:19)

After Saul becomes king, Samuel seems to fade from the picture (1 Samuel 12). Yet, he still comes back to rebuke Saul a couples times (1 Samuel 13 and 15). What was happening here? Did Samuel withdraw from Saul or did Saul choose not to stay close to (or at least consult) Samuel? We don’t know all of the details, but, personally, I think Samuel checked out of Saul's life too soon. He should have been more persistent in his mentoring and counsel. What do you think?

I realize that we often need to be wise stewards of our time and energy and invest ourselves in the lives of those who are willing to grow. Yet, I am also aware that peoples’ teachability can change dramatically through the seasons of life. If we’re not close enough to notice the softening of peoples’ hearts, we may miss out on the opportunity to pour into their lives when they are most open to receive it.